Juan Guaido Seeks to Establish 'Direct Relationship' With Pentagon

Meanwhile, a Venezuela official said on Friday the country is reopening its borders with Brazil and the Caribbean island of Aruba, which were closed in February.

President Trump did not mention Edgar Zambrano but said the United States would stand with the people of Venezuela "for however long it takes".

He repeated that with the backing of allied governments led by the USA, "all options remain on the table" to resolve the national crisis, and that includes, he said, Nicolas Maduro stepping down from power, given that Guaido considers his presidency illegitimate.

Zambrano, who was arrested earlier in the week, and nine other opposition leaders are under investigation in connection with a failed military insurrection.

The march comes days after Venezuelan security forces arrested National Assembly Vice-President Edgar Zambrano, the body's No. 2 leader.

Venezuela's self-declared president Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he had instructed his political envoy in Washington to open relations with the U.S. military with immediate effect.

Mr Zambrano said on Twitter that SEBIN agents had surrounded his vehicle near the headquarters of his Democratic Action party in Caracas' La Florida district.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro reportedly signed a decree either reducing in rank or expelling dozens of officers, including high-ranking ones, from the country's armed forces over their involvement in the coup attempt.

Guaido's statement came 48 hours after the head of the US Southern Command, Craig Faller, posted a message on Twitter saying he was ready to aid the Venezuelan opposition leader.

The second one is linked to the role of big powers in the internal political struggle in the country, as the United States support the opposition and their call for fair and free elections, and Russian Federation backs the current regime in power.

He has since been recognised as interim president by more than 50 countries as he steps up the pressure to oust president Maduro, whom he considers illegitimate after 2018 elections widely seen as fraudulent.

Venezuela's pro-government Constituent Assembly has stripped Guaido and eight other opposition legislators of their parliamentary immunity to prosecution following requests by the Supreme Court.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has threatened Maduro's government with a harsh response should it ever detain Guaido.

Most Latin American countries, as well as the European Union, have expressed opposition to military intervention in Venezuela.

Pence said the United States was lifting economic sanctions on a former Venezuelan general who turned against Maduro in order to encourage other Maduro allies to follow suit.

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